US President Donald Trump’s attacks on the current global order have been at the forefront of international leaders’ minds, including American allies, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney calling the US-led global system “a rupture” in Davos, Switzerland, where the world’s leaders, including US allies, are scheduled to gather for the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Trump’s threat to impose himself in Greenland has angered his European allies, who have pressed back against the US president’s policy of using brute force to achieve his foreign policy objectives. Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, was taken by US forces on January 3 and transported there as part of a military operation that shocked the world.
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Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on European countries if they oppose him in Greenland.
The Canadian prime minister warned that middle powers could be undermined if they don’t work together, while the top official of the European Union called the proposed tariffs a “mistake.”
What were the main conclusions from WEF meetings on Tuesday?
Carney urged that traditional notions of global order no longer apply to the world’s middle powers, urging them to band together to stop aggressive superpowers from coercing them.
The gains from transactionalism will become more difficult to replicate if great powers abandon even the pretence of rules and values in favor of the unhindered pursuit of their power and interests.
He said, “So , we’re engaging , broadly,  , strategically , with , open , eyes,” and that’s how we’re doing. We actively accept the world as it is rather than wait for it to change.
The Canadian leader argued that multilateralism is waning as institutions like the World Trade Organization and the UN are “greatly depleted,” and that the idea of a global system based on “American hegemony” is “fiction.”
Our outdated, well-established notion that our geography and alliance memberships automatically gave us prosperity and security is no longer true, according to Carney. “Be direct, please. Not a transition, but a rupture is occurring right now.
When integration becomes the source of your subordination, Carney continued, “You cannot live within the lie” of mutual benefit through integration.
He argued that “middle powers,” including Canada, must cooperate because “you are on the menu if you are not at the table.”
Nostalgia is not a strategy, they say. However, we think we can create something bigger, better, stronger, and more just by fracturing it.
Carney referred to Greenland as:
“Canada calls for focused discussions to achieve our shared goals of security and prosperity in the Arctic, and it strongly opposes tariffs over Greenland.”
Macron, France’s president, declared, “We prefer respect to bullies.”
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, attacked Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on European nations in his speech at Davos.
Macron said the “endless accumulation” of new tariffs was fundamentally unacceptable, “especially more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.”
Macron joked about wearing aviator sunglasses to his address, which the Elysee Palace claimed were meant to shield his eyes from a sprained blood vessel.
The audience chuckled as the phrase “It’s a time of peace, stability, and predictability.”
Then he spoke in a more serious way.
The French president continued, “It’s obvious we are approaching a time of instability and imbalances.” An absolute record, even though I’m aware that some of the wars were resolved, is “more than 60 wars in 2024.”
In his final statement, Macron outlined his vision for Europe’s contribution to global challenges:
In 2026, he declared, “We will be committed to trying to deliver this global agenda in order to fix global imbalances through more cooperations, and we will do our best to have a stronger Europe.”
We do believe that this world needs more stability and growth, as described in the epicentre of the continent.
He demanded investment from China, the second-largest economy in the world, while urging Europe to strengthen its trade defense mechanism.
China is welcome, but he said, “We need more Chinese foreign direct investments in some key sectors to support our growth and to transfer some technologies to Europe rather than just to export to Europe.”
He stated in a statement about Greenland that he had decided to support a friend and another European nation, Denmark, in a mutual exercise in Greenland without making threats to anyone.
We do prefer bullies to be treated like people do, he said as he finished his speech. We do not support the rule of law or the rule of law, but rather science and plotism. You are welcome in France and Europe, respectively.
Ursula von der Leyen, EU representative, said that “Nostalgia will not restore the old order.”
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, predicted that the EU will become more independent as a result of a number of recent geopolitical shocks.
The good news is that we immediately took action. We’re moving quickly, whether it’s about energy or raw materials, defense or technology.
She did, however, warn that “we will only be able to capitalize on this opportunity if we acknowledge that this change is permanent.”
Nostalgia is a part of our human story, of course, but it won’t bring the old order back.
Von der Leyen added that despite needing more work to finalize the deal, the EU was close to ratifying a free trade agreement with India.
She said, “We are about to reach a historic trade agreement.”
Some refer to it as the “mother of all deals,” which would create a 2 billion population market and account for almost a quarter of global GDP.
Von der Leyen is scheduled to travel to India in the first week of May.
The president of the European Commission added that Denmark and Greenland’s territorial integrity are unquestionable.
She continued, “We are working on a package to support Arctic security,” adding that the EU is also working on a “massive European investment surge in Greenland” to support the local economy and infrastructure.
He from China: “China’s development presents an opportunity.
Beijing is prepared to use its market advantages to grow with other nations, according to Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who stated at the World Economic Forum. China’s development is a chance rather than a threat.
He continued, “China’s development presents an opportunity to the global economy, not a threat,” and that “equal consultation” should be used to resolve differences and disputes in international trade to foster trust, bridge differences, and resolve issues.
He added that China would keep its economy open.
He declared that China would “open its door to the world a wider” and that it would follow international economic and trade standards.
He claimed that China would promote a market-oriented, law-based, and international business environment and promote equal treatment for both domestic and foreign businesses.
He urged other governments to provide a fair, nondiscriminatory, transparent, and predictable investment environment for Chinese businesses while urging them to continue investing in China and sharing in its opportunities.
